Swiftsure complete care system in intubated adults: a feasibility study

Mechanically ventilated patients are at risk of respiratory complications, which may be reduced by proper oral care. The oral cleaning device (Swishkit, Swiftsure, Vancouver, Canada) was developed to facilitate cleansing, moisturization, and debris removal in intubated patients. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and usability of this device in adult intensive care patients.

We conducted a prospective, single-center study at the Cleveland Clinic. Adult patients recovering from cardiac surgery and expected to remain intubated ≥2 hours were included. Feasibility was defined as successful completion of the procedure by nursing staff in addition to standard care. Usability was assessed with the Device Use Questionnaire (DUQ), scored on a 5-point scale (1 = easiest, 2.5 = neutral, 5 = difficult).

Twenty-two patients were enrolled. The procedure was completed in 21/22 (95.5%). One attempt failed due to jaw clenching that prevented device placement, but this patient was included in the analysis. DUQ scores ranged from 1.3 to 2.3, reflecting easy to neutral usability. More than 85% of responses to usability questions were positive, and no residual saline was observed in the subglottic region.

Oral cavity cleansing with the oral cleaning device proved feasible and clinically usable in intubated patients recovering from cardiac surgery.

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05578599.